Adhesive-backed communications media cabling and system

ABSTRACT

An adhesive-backed communications media cable includes a duct having a conduit portion with a lengthwise bore formed therein. The conduit portion includes an Ethernet over twisted pair communication line. The duct also includes a flange extending lengthwise with the conduit portion. An adhesive layer is disposed on a surface of the flange such that the duct is mountable to a mounting surface via the adhesive layer. A system for distributing multiple communications media lines in a living unit includes a multimedia receptacle mountable on a wall or mounting surface and an adhesive-backed communications media duct.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/003,489, filed Sep. 6, 2013, now allowed, which is a national stagefiling under 35 U.S.C. 371 of PCT/US2012/027058, filed Feb. 29, 2012,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/452,387,filed Mar. 14, 2011, the disclosures of which are incorporated byreference in their entirety herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to adhesive-backed communicationsmedia cabling and a system distributing multiple communications medialines within a living unit of a multi-dwelling unit or home.

2. Background

Several hundred million multiple dwelling units (MDUs) exist globally,which are inhabited by about one third of the world's population. Due tothe large concentration of tenants in one MDU, Fiber-to-the-X (“FTTX”)deployments to these structures are more cost effective to serviceproviders than deployments to single-family homes. Connecting existingMDUs to the FTTX network can often be difficult. Challenges can includegaining tenant approval, limited distribution space in riser closets,and space for cable routing. Specifically, FTTX deployments withinexisting structures make it difficult to route cables within the wallsor floors, or above the ceiling from a central closet or stairwell, toeach living unit.

Broadband deployments, including FTTH, are forcing the upgrade ofin-home cabling due to the necessity to upgrade previously installednetworking cables. In addition, further physical and aestheticchallenges exist in providing networking cables within each individualliving unit. Also, because of their size, many conventional indooroptical network terminals (ONTs) are often placed in the closets ofliving units out of normal view. This type of arrangement requires thata service provider run new cabling (such as coaxial cables, cat 5cables, and others) from the closet to the existing wiring in the livingunit to activate the ONT to provide service. As newer ONTs have becomesmaller in physical size, they can be placed outside of closets and intomain living areas.

SUMMARY

According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, anadhesive-backed communications media cable includes a duct having aconduit portion with a lengthwise bore to formed therein. The conduitportion includes an Ethernet over twisted pair communication line. Theduct also includes a flange extending lengthwise with the conduitportion. An adhesive layer is disposed on a surface of the flange suchthat the duct is mountable to a mounting surface via the adhesive layer.

In another aspect, the conduit portion includes a USB line or an activeoptical USB line.

In another aspect, the conduit portion includes a high definition signalline, such as an HDMI line, an active optical HDMI line, and an activecopper HDMI line.

According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a systemfor distributing multiple communications media lines in a living unitincludes a multimedia receptacle mountable on a wall or mountingsurface. The multimedia receptacle includes a base and a cover, the basebeing configured to receive multiple communications media lines. Thecommunication media lines include a combination of different media, thedifferent media including an optical fiber or fibers, an electricalwire, shielded wiring, a hybrid combination of an electrical wire and anoptical fiber, an Ethernet over twisted pair communication line, and/orcoaxial wiring. The system also includes an adhesive-backedcommunications media duct having a conduit portion with a lengthwisebore formed therein. The conduit portion includes a communications medialine. The duct also includes a flange extending lengthwise with theconduit portion. An adhesive layer is disposed on a surface of theflange such that the duct is mountable to a mounting surface via theadhesive layer.

The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describeeach illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the presentinvention. The figures and the detailed description that follows moreparticularly exemplify these embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of an exemplary final drop system accordingto an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is an isometric view of an exemplary low profile access baseunit according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary MDU having a drop accesslocation system and a final drop system according to an aspect of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communications mediacabling system according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A-4D are different views of a multimedia wall receptacleaccording to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5A is a schematic cross section view of a first exemplary ductaccording to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5B is a schematic cross section view of another exemplary ductaccording to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5C is a schematic cross section view of another exemplary ductaccording to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5D is a schematic cross section view of another exemplary ductaccording to another aspect of the invention.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shownby way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention maybe practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,”“bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “forward,” “trailing,” etc., isused with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described.Because components of embodiments of the present invention can bepositioned in a number of different orientations, the directionalterminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no waylimiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand structural or logical changes may be made without departing from thescope of the present invention. The following detailed description,therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of thepresent invention is defined by the appended claims.

As mentioned previously, broadband deployments, including FTTH, areforcing the upgrade of in-home cabling due to the necessity to upgradepreviously installed networking cables. This deployment, along with thedifficulty of fishing walls or battling congested conduits, requiresthat new pathways for communication media cables be created to linknetwork terminals to peripheral equipment. Simplified, reduced labormethods of creating/installing this pathway significantly reduce thecost and complexity to install the higher value service(s). The presentinvention is directed to adhesive-backed communications media cablingand a system for distributing multiple communications media lines withina living unit of a multi-dwelling unit (MDU), home, or other structuresuch as a multiple tenant unit (MTU), school, hotel, hospital or otherlocation. The term “living unit” is not limited to a domicile orresidence, but can include an office, conference room, hotel room,hospital room, school room or other similar room, whether or notcontinuously occupied. The various system components described hereinare designed to provide multimedia service within individual livingunits, such as residences, classrooms, or offices, within the building.The components of the system are also designed with very low impactprofiles for better aesthetics within the living unit so that acommunication and other electronics lines can be discretely mountedwithin the open space of a living unit. Adhesive-backed communicationsmedia cabling allows for cable placement and routing with a reduced oreliminated need for utilizing conventional fasteners, such as staples orscrews. In addition, the adhesive-backed communications media cablingdescribed herein can be routed within a living unit with reduced laborcosts and complexity, as the need to fish cabling through walls iseliminated.

FIG. 1A shows a schematic view of a system 200 that includes a finaldrop that is installed in a living unit 202 of an exemplary building,such as MDU 10 (see FIG. 2). Please note that while system 200 ispreferably utilized in a building such as an MDU, it may also beutilized in a single family home or similar residence, as would beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art given the presentdescription.

The system 200 includes a conduit or duct 210 which contains one or morecommunications lines (such as drop fibers or electrical drop lines, notshown in FIG. 1A) for connection with the horizontal cabling/serviceline(s) of the building, such as an MDU. The communications linespreferably comprise one or two optical fibers, although an electricalwire, coaxial/micro-coaxial cable, twisted pair cables, Ethernet cable,or a combination of these, may be used for data, video, and/or telephonesignal transmission. In one aspect, a communications line can comprise adiscrete (loose) drop fiber, such as 900 μm buffered fiber, 500 μmbuffered fiber, 250 μm fiber, or other standard size communicationsfiber. The optical fiber can be single mode or multi-mode. Examplemulti-mode fibers can have a 50 μm core size, a 62.5 μm core size, an 80μm core size, or a different standard core size. In another alternativeaspect, the drop fiber can comprise a conventional plastic opticalfiber. The final drop fiber(s) can be field terminated with an opticalfiber connector, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,369,738. Otheroptical fiber connectors, such as SC-APC, SC-UPC, or LC, can beutilized.

In addition, although the exemplary aspects described herein are oftenspecific to accessing optical fiber lines, it would be understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art given the present description that thesystem 200 can be configured to accommodate an electrical wire dropand/or a hybrid combination drop as well. For example, the electricalwire drop can comprise conventional Cat 5/Cat 6 wiring or conventionalcoax wiring, such as RG6 shielded and/or unshielded cables.

System 200 comprises one or more point-of-entry units located at one ormore access location points within the living unit to provide access tothe horizontal cabling provided within the MDU. In a preferred aspect, apoint of entry unit comprises a low profile access base unit 180(mountable over or onto at least a portion of the duct 210) that islocated at an access location point. In an alternative aspect, the pointof entry unit can comprise a funnel or other similar structure locatedat an access location point that provides an anchor point for theservice line to enter the living unit.

In a preferred aspect, the service line point of entry can beestablished by disposing unit 180 on a living unit wall 203 as shown inFIG. 1A at an access position corresponding to horizontal cabling thatis disposed in the hallway of the building. An exemplary drop accesssystem and method of installing the horizontal cabling provided withinthe MDU is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009-0324188,incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

As shown in FIG. 1B, an exemplary low profile access base unit 180includes a cover 182 (shown as being transparent in the figure) and awall-mounting portion 184. The cover 182 can have a low profile (with acircular, oval, rectangular, or other geometric outer shape) and/ordecorative outer design for aesthetics within the living unit. The wallmounting portion 184 is located over the service fiber accesspoint-of-entry within the living unit and provides structural supportfor the cover 182. The wall mounting portion includes a main port to fitover or into a hole formed in a wall 203 (see FIG. 1A) of the livingunit 202 that leads to the service fiber(s) of the horizontal cabling.The wall mounting portion 184 can also provide a slack storage sectionformed along a perimeter portion of an outer facing surface thereof.This slack storage provides for storing excess amounts of the drop line.For example, a series of tabs or other structures disposed near or at aperimeter of the wall mounting portion 184 can be disposed thereon andcan be configured to loosely secure excess fiber around the perimeter ofthe wall mounting portion. The fiber can be protected from over-bendingby configuring the wall mounting portion to have a suitable radius orwidth. As an example, low profile access structure 180 can be designedas a low profile base unit for a drop fiber point of entry system, suchas is described in the pending U.S. Patent Publication 2009-0247052,incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

In one aspect, the drop line(s) (e.g., fiber(s)) can be coupled to theservice provider line via a standard coupling located in a drop accessbox 150 (see FIG. 2) disposed in a hallway of the MDU. Alternatively,the drop line(s) can be coupled to the service provider line via astandard coupling located between the hallway wall and the interior wall203 of the living unit, as is described in U.S. Patent Publication2009-0247052, incorporated by reference above. In a further alternative,the low profile access base/point-of-entry unit 180 can include astandard coupling to couple the drop line(s) to the service providerline, such as when the service provider line is provided as a jumperfrom a central closet or similar location to the living unit or room.

The drop line(s), such as a terminated drop fiber(s), or othercommunication lines, can be carried from the point-of-entry unit, suchas low profile access base unit 180, to a second anchor point within theliving unit, in a preferred aspect, wall receptacle 290, via low profileduct 210. In a preferred aspect, the duct 210 is disposed along a wall,ceiling, under carpet, floor, or interior corner of the living unit inan unobtrusive manner, such that the aesthetics of the living unit areminimally impacted. Duct 210 can be configured as an adhesive-backedduct as is described in US Patent Publication No. 2011-0030190,incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

As mentioned previously, system 200 includes a second anchor point at adistance from the point-of-entry to receive the drop line(s) and providea connection with an optical network terminal (ONT) that is locatedwithin the living unit. In a preferred aspect, the second anchor pointcomprises a multimedia wall receptacle unit 290 (shown in more detail inFIGS. 4A-4D) that is configured to receive the drop line(s) (e.g., dropfiber(s) or drop wire(s)) and provide a connection with an ONT 295, suchas a single family unit optical network terminal (SFU ONT), desktop ONT,or similar device (e.g., a 7342 Indoor Optical Terminal, available fromAlcatel-Lucent or a Motorola ONT1120GE Desktop ONT).

According to an exemplary aspect, the wall receptacle 290 is configuredto distribute networking cables throughout the living unit. As such,wall receptacle 290 can be configured to provide multiple, multimediaconnections, using, e.g., coaxial ground blocks or splitters, RJ11adapters (such as couplers or jacks), RJ45 adapters (such as couplers orjacks), or fiber SC/APC adapters/connectors. As shown in FIG. 1A, fiberjumper 297 can connect to the ONT 295. As shown in FIG. 3, a metal-basedjumper line 298 can also be utilized to couple signals from the ONT 295back to the multimedia wall receptacle 290. In an exemplary aspect, acommunications media duct 1000 can carry networking cable, such as anoptical fiber or fibers, e.g., conventional optical fibers or plasticoptical fiber. Communications media duct 1000 can also carry Ethernetover twisted pair wiring, commonly referred to as Category cables (e.g,Cat 5 and Cat 6 varieties). Exemplary ducts carrying Ethernet overtwisted pair wiring are shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Communications mediaduct 1000 can also carry hybrid lines (e.g., a combination of electricaland fiber lines) or coaxial wiring, such as RG6 shielded and/orunshielded cables, or other shielded wiring such as described inInternational Publication Nos. WO 2010/148157 A2 and WO 2010/148165 A2,incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Exemplaryalternative ducts carrying shielded wiring are shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D.In addition, communications media duct 1000 can also carry highdefinition signal lines, such as HDMI, active optical HDMI, and activecopper HDMI lines. Further, communications media duct 1000 can alsocarry computer communication lines such as USB and active optical USBlines. In a preferred aspect, communications media duct 1000 carrieshigh speed Ethernet cabling—see, e.g., exemplary communications mediaducts 1110, 1210, that are described in further detail with respect toFIGS. 5A and 5B. In addition, the communications media duct can befactory terminated with at least one connector or field terminated withat least one connector.

The adhesive-backed communications media duct 1000 can communicate withany peripheral equipment 500 in the living unit, such as a personalcomputer, television, set top box, Wi-Fi router or modem, femtocell,wireless antenna, security system, video surveillance system, gamingsystem, appliance, or similar device. In another aspect, thecommunications media duct can be used for point-to-point communications,e.g., connecting two peripherals to each other, such as peripheral 500 aand peripheral 500 b being connected via adhesive-backed communicationsmedia duct 1001, shown in FIG. 3.

In one aspect, the wall receptacle can be placed from just off the floorto about 10 inches, preferably about 8 inches, from the floor of theliving unit.

In a further alternative aspect, the wall receptacle and the ONT can becombined in a single unit multimedia access box. In another alternativeaspect, a structure such as wall receptacle 290 can be omitted, as thedrop lines can be terminated and accessed from the duct 210 directly tothe ONT 295.

FIGS. 4A-4D show different views of exemplary multimedia wall receptacle290. FIG. 4A is a front isometric view of multimedia wall receptacle290, FIG. 4B is a rear isometric view of multimedia wall receptacle 290,FIG. 4C is an exploded view of multimedia wall receptacle 290, and FIG.4D is an isometric view of the base portion of multimedia wallreceptacle 290. In this exemplary aspect, wall receptacle 290 includes abase portion 291 and a cover 292. The cover 292 can be can be attachedto base 291 via different types of attachment, such as friction fit,snap fit, latch fit, sliding fit, fastener, screw or hinged attachment.For example, in FIG. 4B, cover 292 can be attached via a snap fit with asnap latch element. Base 291 is preferably configured for flush mountingto a living unit wall, such as wall 203. Base 291 can also include anopening for mounting to a single or double wall box. Wall receptacle 290can comprise a metal, plastic, or other suitably robust material,preferably having a low profile.

The multimedia wall receptacle 290 is configured to receive one or moredrop lines and outgoing communications media cable/lines via multipleports 293. In one exemplary aspect, the ports 293 can be accessed viasnap off or break out port covers 294. In addition, side entry ports 299can be provided for additional line access. These multiple ports providefor multiple connections with an ONT (see e.g., ONT 295) and with livingunit electronic components 500. For example, as shown in FIG. 4D, base291 can include several mounting structures or retention elements toallow ports 293 to be populated with multiple adapters (such as couplersor jacks), such as a coax adapter 296 a (shown as a 1×3 coax splitter),RJ11 adapter 296 b, and RJ45 adapter 296 c. Alternatively, other typesof adapters can be mounted in ports 293 to provide for multiple fiber,coaxial, or electrical connections. In addition, base 291 can includeone or more internal mounting plates, such as plate 288, which cansupport additional adapters, such as a fiber SC/APC (or SC-UPC, LC, orMTP/MPO) adapter 296 d, which can couple lines entering/exiting the sideentry ports. Other conventional adapters, couplings and/or connectorscan be utilized, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in theart given the present description. The wall receptacle 290 can furtherinclude a fiber slack storage section to route accessed fiber, ifrequired. For example, as shown in FIG. 4D, plate 288 can include fiberretention structures 289 to permit fiber slack storage on plate 288.

FIG. 2 shows an example building, here MDU 10, with an exemplary dropaccess system to provide horizontal cabling to each individual livingunit 202. MDU 10 is a multi-floor structure having a plurality of livingunits 202 located therein. For example, floor 20 has four living unitshaving a common hallway 25. Feeder cable 30 brings communications linesto and from building 10. These feeder lines are spliced to the MDU'scabling system at a splice closure 40. The building feeder lines 50 aredistributed to the building to a distribution hub (FDH) 60 in thebuilding. Each floor includes a fiber distribution terminal (FDT) 65that receives communications lines via riser cable 55. In the presentexample, a drop access system 100 coupling the communications lines fromFDT 65 a can be installed on hallway 25 such as is described U.S. PatentPublication No. 2009-0324188, incorporated by reference above, wheredrop access boxes 150 can be disposed outside each living unit and canreceive one or more fiber optic communication lines from duct 110.

As also mentioned above, the drop access location system can beconfigured to accommodate electrical wire drops and hybrid combinationdrops as well. In alternative aspects, the drop access location systemcan be configured to supply at least one of uninterrupted DC power andAC power to the wall receptacle or an ONT located in an individualliving unit.

In another exemplary aspect, a communications media duct 1110 is shownin FIG. 5A. Duct 1110 includes a conduit portion 1112 having a bore 1113extending longitudinally therethrough. Duct 1110 is an elongatedstructure that may have a length (L) of up to several meters (dependingon the application). The bore 1113 is sized to accommodate one or morecommunication lines disposed therein. In this aspect, the bore houses anEthernet over twisted pair communications line, such as a CAT 5 or CAT 6(or future CAT “X”)-type line 1101, which may further includeseparators, foil, and/or other shielding elements. Further, in thisaspect, the outer portion 1109 of conduit 1112 also serves as the jacketof the twisted pair communications line 1101.

While conduit portion 1112 can have a generally circular cross-section,in alternative embodiments it may have another shape, such as arectangle, square, triangle, oval, other polygonal shaped, or flatribbon cross-section. In one aspect, duct 1110 is a continuous structureformed from a polymeric material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC),making it flexible, flame retardant and robust. In one aspect, duct 1110can comprise an exemplary material such as a polyurethane elastomer,e.g., Elastollan 1185A10FHF. In one aspect, duct 1110 can comprise apolyolefin material that optionally includes one or more flame retardantadditives. As such, duct 1110 can be guided and bent around corners andother structures without cracking or splitting. Duct 1110 can becontinuously formed using a conventional extrusion process.

Duct 1110 also includes a flange or similar flattened portion to providesupport for the duct 1110 as it is installed on or mounted to a wall orother mounting surface, such as a floor, ceiling, or molding. In mostapplications, the mounting surface is generally flat. The mountingsurface may have texture or other structures formed thereon. In otherapplications, the mounting surface may have curvature, such as foundwith a pillar or column. The flange extends along the longitudinal axisof the duct. Exemplary duct 1110 includes a double flange structure,with flange portions 1115 a and 1115 b, positioned (in use) below thecentrally positioned conduit portion. In an alternative aspect, theflange can include a single flange portion. In alternative applications,a portion of the flange can be removed for in-plane and out-of-planebending.

In a preferred aspect, the flange 1115 a, 1115 b includes a rear orbottom surface 1116 that has a generally flat surface shape. This flatsurface provides a suitable surface area for adhering the duct 1110 to amounting surface, a wall or other surface (e.g., dry wall or otherconventional building material) using an adhesive layer 1118. Forexample, in a preferred aspect of the present invention, the adhesivelayer 1118 comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive, such as a transferadhesive or double-sided tape, disposed on all or at least part ofsurface 1116. These types of adhesives do not exhibit macroscopic flowbehavior upon application to a mounting surface and thus do notsubstantially change dimensions upon application to the mountingsurface. In this manner, the aesthetic quality of the applied duct ismaintained. Alternatively, adhesive backing 1118 can comprise an epoxy.

In one aspect, surface 1116 is backed with an adhesive layer 1118 havinga removable liner. In use, the liner can be removed and the surface 1116can be applied to a mounting surface via adhesive 1118. For example, anadhesive such as a factory applied 3M™ VHB™ Tape 4941F can be utilizedas adhesive layer 1118. In other alternative aspects, adhesive layer1118 comprises a repositionable adhesive or a removable adhesive, suchas a stretch release adhesive. By “removable adhesive,” it is meant thatthe duct 1110 can be mounted to a mounting surface (preferably, agenerally flat surface, although some surface texture and/or curvatureare contemplated) so that the duct 1110 remains in its mounted stateuntil acted upon by an installer/user to remove the duct from itsmounted position. Even though the duct is removable, the adhesive issuitable for those applications where the user intends for the duct toremain in place for an extended period of time. Suitable removableadhesives are described in more detail in International Publication No.WO 2011/129972, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Thus,high speed communications media cabling can be securely routed withinthe living unit without the need for using fasteners, such as staplesand screws, as the adhesive backing allows for flush mounting to thewall or mounting surface, reducing clutter and improving the aestheticsof the installed cable.

In a further alternative aspect, an alternative duct 1210 is shown inFIG. 5B, which includes a conduit portion 1212 having a bore 1213extending longitudinally therethrough. Duct 1210 is an elongatedstructure that may have a length (L) of up to several tens of meters(depending on the application). The bore 1213 is sized to accommodateone or more communication lines disposed therein. In this alternativeaspect, the bore houses an Ethernet over twisted pair communicationsline, such as a CAT 5 or CAT 6 (or future CAT “X”)-type line 1201, whichmay further include separators, foil, and/or other shielding elements.In this alternative aspect, the CAT 5 or CAT 6-type line 1201 includesan outer jacket 1202, such that the entire twisted pair cable isdisposed within bore 1213. In a further alternative aspect, duct 1210can include an HDMI-type cable, such as those described above, disposedwithin bore 1213. In an even further alternative aspect, duct 1210 caninclude a plastic optical fiber disposed within bore 1213.

In a further alternative aspect, duct 1210 can include an open top orslot that runs the longitudinal length of the duct to provide access forinserting or removing the line 1201. The slot can be formed during theextrusion process as a permanent slot or, alternatively, it can beformed in the factory or in the field using a cutting tool to provide alongitudinal opening in the duct. The tool can be applied to an emptyduct or a duct that is pre-populated with one or more communicationlines. In a further alternative, the slot may run only a portion of thelongitudinal length of the duct 1210. In one aspect, the slot openinghas a size of about 50% or less of the outer diameter of line 1201. Inanother aspect, the slot opening has a size of from about 10% to about50% of the outer diameter of line 1201.

In a further alternative, duct 1210 can also include a strength member,such as an aramid string (e.g., a woven or non-woven Kevlar™ material)or aramid yarn that can be bonded or un-bonded, such as those describedco-pending U.S. Pat. Publication Nos. 2011-0030190 and 2011-0030832,incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The strength membercan be disposed along the length of the duct between bottom surface 1216and adhesive layer 1218 or within the conduit portion of the duct.

While conduit portion 1212 can have a generally circular cross-section,in alternative embodiments it may have another shape, such as arectangle, square, triangle, oval, or other polygonal shapedcross-section. In one aspect, duct 1210 can be formed from the ductmaterials described above. As such, duct 1210 can be guided and bentaround corners and other structures without cracking or splitting. Duct1210 can be continuously formed using a conventional extrusion process.

Duct 1210 also includes a flange or similar flattened portion to providesupport for the duct 1210 as it is installed on or mounted to a wall orother mounting surface, such as those described above. The flangeextends along the longitudinal axis of the duct. Exemplary duct 1210includes a double flange structure, with flange portions 1215 a and 1215b, positioned (in use) below the centrally positioned conduit portion.In an alternative aspect, the flange can include a single flangeportion. In alternative applications, a portion of the flange can beremoved for in-plane and out-of-plane bending.

In a preferred aspect, the flange 1215 a, 1215 b includes a rear orbottom surface 1216 that has a generally flat surface shape. This flatsurface provides a suitable surface area for adhering the duct 1210 to amounting surface, a wall or other surface (e.g., dry wall or otherconventional building material) using an adhesive layer 1218. Theadhesive layer 1218 may comprise any of the adhesive materials describedpreviously.

In another aspect, the conduit portion can include a strength member,such as Kevlar yarn.

In a further alternative aspect, an alternative duct 1310 is shown inFIG. 5C, which includes a conduit portion 1312 having a bore 1313extending longitudinally therethrough. Duct 1310 is an elongatedstructure that may have a length (L) of up to several tens of meters(depending on the application). The bore 1313 is sized to accommodateone or more communication lines disposed therein. In this alternativeaspect, the bore is oblong in shape to accommodate a flattened, shieldedcabling structure 1301, such as is described in InternationalPublication Nos. WO 2010/148157 A2 and WO 2010/148165 A2, incorporatedby reference above. In this aspect, the shielded wiring has a conductorset of one or more substantially parallel conductors with two generallyparallel shielding films disposed around the conductor set and bondedtogether.

In a further alternative, duct 1310 can also include a strength member,such as an aramid string (e.g., a woven or non-woven Kevlar™ material)or aramid yarn that can be bonded or un-bonded, such as those describedco-pending U.S. Pat. Publication Nos. 2011-0030190 and 2011-0030832,incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The strength membercan be disposed along the length of the duct between bottom surface 1316and adhesive layer 1318 or within the conduit portion of the duct.

Conduit portion 1312 can be formed from the duct materials describedabove. As such, duct 1310 can be guided and bent around corners andother structures without cracking or splitting. Duct 1310 can becontinuously formed using a conventional extrusion process.

Duct 1310 also includes a flange or similar flattened portion to providesupport for the duct 1310 as it is installed on or mounted to a wall orother mounting surface, such as those described above. The flangeextends along the longitudinal axis of the duct. Exemplary duct 1310includes a double flange structure, with flange portions 1315 a and 1315b, positioned (in use) below the centrally positioned conduit portion.In an alternative aspect, the flange can include a single flangeportion. In alternative applications, a portion of the flange can beremoved for in-plane and out-of-plane bending.

In a preferred aspect, the edges of the flange 1315 can be tapered toprovide a desired appearance against a wall or mounting surface, and toprovide a smooth transition from the wall or mounting surface forfacilitating painting over the duct.

In a preferred aspect, the flange 1315 a, 1315 b includes a rear orbottom surface 1316 that has a generally flat surface shape. This flatsurface provides a suitable surface area for adhering the duct 1310 to amounting surface, a wall or other surface (e.g., dry wall or otherconventional building material) using an adhesive layer 1318. Theadhesive layer 1318 may comprise any of the adhesive materials describedpreviously. In a preferred aspect, adhesive layer 1318 comprises astretch release adhesive. The stretch release adhesive layer 1318 can beapplied in a continuous length along the flange, or in segments.

In yet a further alternative aspect, an alternative duct 1410 is shownin FIG. 5D, which includes a conduit portion 1412 having a bore 1413extending longitudinally therethrough. Duct 1410 is an elongatedstructure that may have a length (L) of up to several tens of meters(depending on the application). The bore 1413 is sized to accommodateone or more communication lines disposed therein. In this alternativeaspect, the bore is oblong in shape to accommodate a flattened, shieldedcabling structure 1401, such as is described in InternationalPublication Nos. WO 2010/148157 A2 and WO 2010/148165 A2, incorporatedby reference above.

In a further alternative, duct 1410 can also include a strength member,such as an aramid string (e.g., a woven or non-woven Kevlar™ material)or aramid yarn that can be bonded or un-bonded, such as those describedco-pending U.S. Pat. Publication Nos. 2011-0030190 and 2011-0030832,incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The strength membercan be disposed along the length of the duct between bottom surface 1416and adhesive layer 1418 or within the conduit portion of the duct.

Conduit portion 1412 can be formed from the duct materials describedabove. As such, duct 1410 can be guided and bent around corners andother structures without cracking or splitting. Duct 1410 can becontinuously formed using a conventional extrusion process.

Duct 1410 also includes a flange or similar flattened portion to providesupport for the duct 1410 as it is installed on or mounted to a wall orother mounting surface, such as those described above. The flangeextends along the longitudinal axis of the duct. Exemplary duct 1410includes a double flange structure, with flange portions 1415 a and 1415b, positioned (in use) below the centrally positioned conduit portion.In an alternative aspect, the flange can include a single flangeportion. In alternative applications, a portion of the flange can beremoved for in-plane and out-of-plane bending.

In a preferred aspect, the edges of the flange 1415 can be tapered toprovide a desired appearance against a wall or mounting surface (e.g.,by reducing shadows), and to provide a smooth transition from the wallor mounting surface for facilitating painting over the duct.

In this alternative aspect, the flange 1415 a, 1415 b includes a rear orbottom surface 1416 that has a generally flat surface shape and isformed as a channel between the flange end portions as is shown in FIG.5D. This channel-shaped rear surface 1416 is configured to receiveadhesive layer 1418 such that the duct 1410 can be flush mounted andadhered to a mounting surface, a wall or other surface (e.g., dry wallor other conventional building material). In this alternative aspect,the flange edges can contact the mounting surface when the duct is fullyadhered to the mounting surface. The adhesive layer 1418 may compriseany of the adhesive materials described previously. In a preferredaspect, adhesive layer 1418 comprises a stretch release adhesive. Thestretch release adhesive layer 1418 can be applied in a continuouslength along the flange, or in segments.

In some aspects, these ducts can be installed in the living unit usingan installation tool such as is described in U.S. Patent Publication No.2009-0324188, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

While the ducts described herein are shown having a symmetrical shape,the duct designs can be modified to have an asymmetric shape (such as aflange wider on one side than the other), as would be apparent to one ofskill in the art given the present description.

Moreover, the ducts described herein may be coextruded with at least twomaterials. A first material can exhibit properties that affordprotection of the optical fibers within the conduit portion of each ductsuch as against accidental damage due to impact, compression, or evenprovide some protection against intentional misuse such as stapling. Asecond material can provide functional flexibility for cornering withina plane or provide more flame or smoke retardance. The flange portion ofthe duct may be extruded of a lower durometer material that allows it tobe easily formed around a corner while maintaining a planar surface forsecure bonding and wetting of the adhesive to the wall. The materialforming the external wall near the conduits can provide a way forstraightforward access such as making a window cut for accessing thefibers.

In a further alternative aspect, the ducts (e.g., duct 1210, 1310, 1410)can comprise an extruded polymer material, such as those describedabove, that is loaded with cut-up or chopped strength member (e.g.,aramid) pieces to provide against excessive localized stretching duringthe application process.

The communications media cabling and system described herein can beutilized for providing all manner of cabling that may be required withina living unit or home. The system has a low profile and minimallyimpacts the aesthetics of the interior of the living unit, whileproviding protection for the communication lines from mechanical andenvironmental damage. The system further enables the move to smaller(e.g., desktop) ONTs.

The present invention should not be considered limited to the particularexamples described above, but rather should be understood to cover allaspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims.Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerousstructures to which the present invention may be applicable will bereadily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the presentinvention is directed upon review of the present specification. Theclaims are intended to cover such modifications and devices.

What is claimed is:
 1. An adhesive-backed communications media cable,comprising: a duct having a conduit portion with a lengthwise boreformed therein, the conduit portion including an Ethernet over twistedpair communication line contained within the bore; a flange extendinglengthwise with the conduit portion; and an adhesive layer is disposedon a surface of the flange such that the duct is mountable to a mountingsurface via the adhesive layer.
 2. The communications media cable ofclaim 1, wherein the duct is formed from a flexible material such thatit can be bent around a curved surface.
 3. The communications mediacable of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a stretch releaseadhesive.
 4. The communications media cable of claim 1, wherein theadhesive layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.
 5. Thecommunications media cable of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layercomprises a repositionable adhesive.
 6. The communications media cableof claim 1, wherein an outer portion of the conduit forms the jacket ofthe Ethernet over twisted pair communication line.
 7. The communicationsmedia cable of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet over twisted paircommunication line comprises an outer jacket surrounding the twistedpair lines disposed therein, and wherein the outer jacket is disposedwithin the lengthwise bore.
 8. The communications media cable of claim1, wherein the duct comprises a strength member.
 9. The communicationsmedia cable of claim 1, wherein the cable is terminated with at leastone of a factory terminated connector and a field terminated connector.10. An adhesive-backed communications media cable, comprising: a ducthaving a conduit portion with a lengthwise bore formed therein, theconduit portion including one of a USB line and an active optical USBline; a flange extending lengthwise with the conduit portion; and anadhesive layer is disposed on a surface of the flange such that the ductis mountable to a mounting surface via the adhesive layer.
 11. Anadhesive-backed communications media cable, comprising: a duct having aconduit portion with a lengthwise bore formed therein, the conduitportion including a high definition signal line contained within thebore, the high definition signal line comprising at least one of an HDMIline, an active optical HDMI line, and an active copper HDMI line; aflange extending lengthwise with the conduit portion; and an adhesivelayer is disposed on a surface of the flange such that the duct ismountable to a mounting surface via the adhesive layer.